How many of you have experience of testing being refused despite symptoms?

WwfLeopard Or any more patients demanding antibiotics for a virus.

Relative of mine has returned from a category 2 Asian country and is unwell - rang 111 4 days ago and after being told they'd call back the following day is still waiting - they say she'll get a call sometime. So testing taking a while even for those who do meet the criteria.

I have had all the symptoms and very badly too (never get the flu this bad) and was told to self-isolate but not to get tested

So there are people now in the UK who have been diagnosed as having COVID-19 but they have no links to foreign travel. If they have no links how did they get tested when apparently only foreign travel people or associates of a know case are being tested?

I'm assuming those screening the calls aren't documented those? Or are they?

I highly doubt it, because what would be the point? They can't offer screening, they can't tell whether someone has it or not so surely any recording of it would just read as something like 'Mrs J from Stockport thinks she has it, Mrs B from Lee the same (Mrs C TELLS me she has it and is demanding amoxycillin . )

I just don't get what the numbers announced are for if it's hugely likely lots of people have it but aren't recorded

I have no clue of the ins and outs as epidemiology is like a foreign language to me and so very in depth (not keen on public health either), but my understanding is it is part of a targeted tracking service that will go towards developing a more accurate reflection of the overall picture over time.

We're now being told that we should self-isolate for 7 days if we have any signs at all, a fever, signs of a LRTI

That's not just yet though, is it? I thought that was imminent, but not immediate?

As it is, only about 1% of people tested in this country turned out to have the virus.

Many other respiratory viruses are available.

They don't want the data....

Yes me, I have symptoms and was in the general area of where they are now reporting outbreaks in the UK. Two of.my kids now has symptoms. Totally could be another winter virus and chances are it is. But I did call both 111 and drs and both were dismissive. Most likely there are thousands infected in the UK brushing it off as a cold and nit being tested unless it gets bad. My brother was rely annoyed I could get tested as he works with epidemiologysts and they are frustrated with nHS moving to slow to track the spread so can get better data to make desicons. Still using high cost 48 hour tests rather than the 15 minute one that is a big less accurate. But to be fair I'm sure everyone is doing their best especially front line workers! Still I sound mad but I hope I do have it get it over and done with.

If people have to self isolate for 2.weeks without being tested how will this stand with sick pay etc I wonder??

I have had the symptoms but it was just a cold, not something you bother your dr with. In younger adults it's pretty mild most of the time

So... they’re not testing widely in the community. I get that, I get why.

In that case, how did they find out the ones with no known travel/contact - the Surrey chap and a couple of others? To give them the diagnosis they must’ve tested them, right? If so, why, if the current policy is to only test in the prescribed circumstances

Cross posted @ladyflower23

Most likely there are thousands infected in the UK brushing it off as a cold and nit being tested unless it gets bad

Really?
So scenario 1: Assuming that the moderate to severe case %s are anything like reported elsewhere, if it's circulating in a community the hospitals would notice significant spikes in respiratory illness. People without contact with someone known to be infected almost certainly have a mild to moderate cold and a moderate to severe level of panic, and shouldn't use up a test kit that might be used on someone in hospital....

Scenario 2 alternatively it is circulating freely around the UK, but public health hasn't seen any spikes to go and test, in which case it's much milder than assumed and we can all stop worrying so much. In which case, if you think you have a respiratory bug, lock yourself up for a couple of weeks just in case and emerge corona-free and fine...

The people with no known contact would likely have been diagnosed after being hospitalised. If they hadn't become that ill, they probably wouldn't have been detected.

Stuck I think these are the cases that are now popping up as ‘community transmission’. I think there are going to be a LOT more of them over the next couple of weeks

In that case, how did they find out the ones with no known travel/contact - the Surrey chap and a couple of others? To give them the diagnosis they must’ve tested them, right? If so, why, if the current policy is to only test in the prescribed circumstances

Some inpatients where I am working (critical care) with symptoms have been tested, whether that is standard/ national policy or discretion is applied, and whether for cross infection/ treatment/ epidemiological purposes, I don't know (none have been positive as yet though).

I would assume the people tested and confirmed community spread presented at a hospital with a bad enough case for the to warrant doing the test so that should they die, it would be clear why.

I said thousands probably have it and brush it of as colds as that is what it is like for most people. I imagine that we are in the early stages just as Italy was a few weeks ago. Where lots of.ppl get cold like symptoms or next to none or a bit of a fever and mild.cough.for a few days then most recover... However for the unlucky few at this point it gets worse over the following week and seek medical help then get tested then the stats start to jump just like in Iran Korea and Italy. It's already here and spreading as while the death rate isn't as bad as MERs or SARs it's spread rate is incredible.

What happens if you test positive? Are you stuck in hospital then or allowed to stay at home?

They didn't offer ds any form of testing despite the fact he returned from school trip to Italy on 22 February & started with symptoms within 7 days, school just sent him home & told him not to return until he recovered. I rang GP who referred me to 111 as they said he had been to Cat 2 area, 111 said the area he had been to was safe ( Bay of Naples) school still wouldn't allow him back until all symptoms had cleared. Now just over 2 weeks since he returned & all of Italy is virtually shut down.

Surrey bloke went to his GP, not A and E. Obviously wasn’t horrifically ill at the point of presentation, and yet tested.

I think much like the widely varying 111 advice, different Trusts will be doing their own thing to a degree.

I work for 111 as a health advisor. It’s only if you’ve been to high or critical risk areas or been in contact with a confirmed case will you be tested. But I don’t understand this myself. A lot of people have been reported in the news to have corona virus without actually knowing they’ve been in contacted with a confirmed case.

DH was tested after he came back from Northern Italy just over a week ago with a fever and bad cough and was quite poorly.
He phoned our GP who said get straight on to NHS 111 special CV hotline, we were then phoned back within about 20 minutes by a Dr who questioned him closely about where he's been, symptoms etc.
They arranged for us to go more or less immediately to a hospital about an hour away from us, i drove as he was not at all well, we had to go to a designated 'pod' in the hospital car park, stay in the car and they came out to us (covered head to toe, gloved, masked etc) to do the swabs.
They didn't test me i had no symptoms and hadn't been to Italy.
We then returned home and he, not me, had to self isolate until the result came through.
We just got the result back and he is clear of Corona Virus, he has flu and a chest infection. (He was really quite ill which is v unusual for him)
I was impressed by the speed and efficiency, as soon as he said Northern Italy and his symptoms , they sprang into action.
I hope anyone else going through this is treated as quickly and efficiently as we were (and Also gets an all-clear)